


Finders Keepers

by NebraskaWildfire



Series: Valparaiso [3]
Category: Alias Smith and Jones
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:13:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28883715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NebraskaWildfire/pseuds/NebraskaWildfire
Summary: The Kid finds another needy girl.
Series: Valparaiso [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2118126
Comments: 7
Kudos: 10





	Finders Keepers

“You think they’ll come, Sister?”

Sister Madeleva turned to look at Mary Jones, smiling at the young woman with the chocolate brown curls.

“I sent them a telegraph with the date for your graduation and they said they’d try. You know it isn’t always easy for them.”

“Yes, Sister, I know that, but they told me, if I graduated from college, that they’d come.”

  


The sky was steel gray. The clouds were dark and rolling, wave after wave. The wind was slicing through their coats with a chill that left their teeth chattering. The day had been miserable, with intermittent periods of sheet and some swirls of snow.

They had not made much progress that day, even though they tried to keep on the move to help warm the horses and themselves. The trail was muddy in spots and rough and rocky in others. The night was coming on quickly and they still had a few miles to go to reach the next town. 

As they rounded a bend in the road they saw a lump to the side. The boys pulled up on their horses, leery and cautious.

"Whatcha think, Heyes?

"I dunno, Kid."

Curry undid the loop on his Colt and slowly approached. Heyes, next to him, pulled his gun from his holster, not quite so trusting as the Kid. 

As they came closer, they could see that what looked like a bundle of rags, maybe an old quilt. There was no movement.

"Someone must have lost a bag from a wagon." Heyes stopped.

"I dunno, Heyes." The Kid approached more closely. His horse shied when stopped next to it. He patted the horse on the neck and started to dismount.

"You think that's smart?"

"If it's just a bundle of clothes, shouldn't matter, should it?"

"Well, no, but..."

The Kid toed the bundle. It offered more resistance than a quilt would. He started to lean down and Heyes pointed his gun at the lump.

"Getting mighty jumpy, aren't you?"

"Given our luck recently, I just see it as being cautious."

A sob came from the bundle. Instantly, the Kid had his Colt in his hand.

"Kid, you might want to back up." Heyes' eyes became hard and focused on the quilt, as Curry did just the opposite. He reached out his left hand and touched the bundle. A whimper emerged and it became more compact as it sidled further off the road. The Kid's face showed confusion and he leaned back on his haunches. He looked up at Heyes, questioning.

Against his better judgement, Heyes dismounted and came to stand by this partner, his gun still loosely in his hand. Curry again reached out to the bundle.

"No..." came the moan from the quilt. It grew smaller.

"We don't mean no harm." Curry looked up at Heyes and down again to the bundle. "Would you be needin’ some help?" He holstered his gun and reached out with both hands to lift the quilt. Heyes' gun was trained on it.

More whimpering came out along with a dark mop of curls and a tear streaked face. She stared with wide eyes at first Curry, then at Heyes.

The Kid looked up at Heyes with a harsh shake of his head and then held his arms out. "Sweetheart, we ain't gonna hurt you." Heyes put his gun to the side, but wasn't ready to put it away.

The girl looked young, maybe ten, probably less.

Where your parents, darlin'?" The Kid kept his left hand on her shoulder, not quite sure if she was going to bolt or not.

"Momma's passed on." Tears started streaming down her face. The Kid's face softened. Heyes’ hardened a bit, but he holstered his gun.

"And your pa?"

"He left." The girl tightened the quilt around her shoulders, but didn't pull away from Curry. She looked down and closed her eyes. The tears continued to fall.

"He left you here?" Heyes asked, his voice harsh.

The girl glanced up at Heyes, frightened and back to Curry.

"It’s okay, darlin’,” Curry murmured. “He might sound like he’d bite, but he’s just a big softie inside.”

The girl looked doubtfully at Heyes, but then smiled a watery smile at the Kid.

Hannibal Heyes looked like he wanted to be offended, but then just smiled his charming smile and slowly lowered himself to the same level as Curry and the girl.

“Yeah, sweetie, he’s right. Big dogs just come up to me all the time and lick my hand.” He locked eyes with his cousin. “It’s getting cold out here. Any place we can take you?”

The girl slowly shook her dark curls. 

“We’re headin’ to town ourselves. Would you like to come with us and get a nice warm supper?” Curry hadn’t moved closer, not wanting to spook the girl.

She looked uncertain. “How will Pa know where to find me?”

“How about we take you into town and let the sheriff know where you are? Then your daddy should find you if he comes lookin’.” Heyes continued to smile, even as the Kid gave him a skeptical look. “It’s too cold for you to stay out here all alone.” He looked around at the darkness that had now fallen around them.

The girl followed Heyes’ glance and started to look frightened. The Kid still had one hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it. “You can come and ride up on my horse with me and we’ll be to town in no time. Maybe your pa will be there waitin’.”

The girl slowly nodded and stood.

“What’s your name, darlin’?” Curry asked, still crouching at eye level.

“Mary.”

“Okay, Mary, then how about I lift you up on my horse and we get goin’ to town?”

She nodded again and held out her arms. The Kid scooped her up, set her on the horse and settled in behind her. 

Heyes stood next to his horse and met Curry’s eyes. The Kid shook his head slightly, and Heyes shook his head more, closing his eyes briefly. Then he was on his horse and they slowly started towards town.

The rhythm of the horse put Mary to sleep not too far down the road. Curry glanced down fondly at her. He then glanced over to his partner, knowing the look he’d see on Heyes’ face.

“So, your definition of the needy has expanded beyond pretty women to little children?”

“Heyes, you know we couldn’t leave her there.”

Hannibal Heyes sighed. “You know we have to take her to the sheriff’s office.”

“Ain’t there anywhere else we can check for her pa?”

“Maybe the saloon.” Heyes gave a dry, jaded laugh.

“Not such a bad idea, Heyes.”

“Ain’t I told you that before? All I have is good ideas.”

“I thought that was Wheat.”

Heyes laughed genuinely. “No, Wheat just thought that.”

It was full dark when the boys rode into Brewster. The saloon appeared to be doing good business, based on the level of noise emanating from that establishment. The Kid looked to Heyes, as they started to ride by.

“No, Kid, we have to check out the sheriff’s office first.” Heyes shook his head decisively. “If we don’t know him, we’ll have to take her in.”

“She’ll be scared.”

“I don’t think the saloon would be any better.” Heyes looked at his cousin. “Do you?”

“No, I guess not.” Curry spotted the sheriff’s office down the street. There was a light glowing from within, but he couldn’t make out the sign over the door.

Heyes rode up to the hitching post in front of the office and peered at the sign in the gloom.

“Sheriff Horace Bigelow.” He glanced over to Curry. “Don’t ring any bells with me. You?”

The Kid shook his head. “No, but that don’t make me feel any better about taking her in there.” Mary started to stir, as the Kid stopped his horse.

“Where are we Mr. Jones?”

“We’re in town, by the sheriff’s office.”

“Pa never liked to go to the sheriff’s office. I don’t think we’ll find him here.”

“Well, we’re going to talk to the sheriff and see if he’s seen your pa.” Heyes smiled at Mary.

Mary looked doubtful and glanced up at the Kid.

“Mr. Smith is a smart man.” Curry told Mary and then looked skeptically at Heyes himself. “He thinks this is a good idea. Let’s go in and see if he’s right.”

Hannibal Heyes took a deep breath, glanced back at Curry, who just rolled his eyes and then opened the door.

“Howdy!” Heyes used his most ingratiating smile. “Sheriff Bigelow?” 

An older man sat at the desk doing paperwork. He glanced up to see two drifters enter his office, with tied down guns. They were not the usual type that sought out the sheriff in a town. Then he saw the young girl peering around the side of the blond with the brown floppy hat. Her arms were tight around him.

“Well, who do we have here?” The sheriff got up from his desk and started towards the young girl, but she retreated behind the tall man with the ice blue eyes.

“Her name is Mary and she’s a bit shy,” Heyes said quietly. “We ah … met her on the road outside of town. She’s lost her pa.” He smiled sweetly at Mary. “We was hoping he might have stopped by.”

“No…” The sheriff was puzzled, but figured these boys were being honest with him.

“We were thinkin’ of checkin’ out the saloon,” the Kid said. Heyes gave him a look, but then shrugged. 

The sheriff slowly approached Mary. “What’s your pa’s name, Mary?”

“Elijah Hooker,” Mary answered quietly, but then tears started running down her face. “He said he didn’t want me no more.”

“Well, maybe he’s changed his mind after a drink or two.” The sheriff looked up at the boys, a grim line to his face. “Um… I’ve already met Mary’s father. Over to the saloon. Had to break up a fight. Nobody would ‘fess up as to who started it, and since they quieted down, I decided to let them be.”

He looked at Mary clutching tightly to the blond man. “Maybe Mary and Mr….?”

“Jones, Sheriff. Thaddeus Jones.” The Kid smiled down at Mary.

“Well, maybe Mary and Mr. Jones can stay here, while Mr. …?”

“Smith, Joshua Smith, Sheriff.” Heyes smiled at the sheriff.

“Mary, would you like to stay here with Mr. Jones, while Mr. Smith and I go see if your pa is still at the saloon? I might be able to find a peppermint stick in my drawer, if that would help.”

Mary looked scared at the mention of her pa, but then her face cleared when the peppermint was mentioned.

“I like peppermint too, Mary,” the Kid said. “Maybe the sheriff will let us share a piece.”

“I’d like that,” Mary smiled back at the Kid and then asked the sheriff, “Can we?”

“I think that would be a right fine idea.” Sheriff Bigelow retrieved the aforementioned piece of candy from his desk and Mary and the Kid settled down in a chair.

As they walked over to the saloon, Bigelow gave Heyes another close look, not certain he liked what he saw, but couldn’t find fault with the boys for bringing in the girl.

“So why don’t you tell me a bit more about how you found Mary, afore we get over to the saloon.”

“We just came upon her lying crumpled in the road. Honest Sheriff,” Heyes said. “Couldn’t see leaving her out there in the cold.”

“No, Mr. Smith, I guess you couldn’t.” The sheriff thought for a while. “Smith and Jones, huh?”

“Yes, Sheriff. Lots of folks named Smith and Jones.” 

“That there are.” The sheriff stopped before he climbed the stairs to the saloon. “Did you see the bruises on her?”

Heyes turned to look at the sheriff. “No, sir. We did not.” He took a deep breath. “You gotta believe us. We just found her…”

“Calm down, Smith. I figure you wouldn’t be bringing her into the sheriff if you caused any of those.” He scrubbed his face. “Not the first time I’ve seen this. A lot of times the dirt covers them. But not always.”

Heyes’ face was illuminated by the light coming from the saloon. He looked grim. “What sort of man is this Hooker?”

“Not the kind I’d leave any kid with.” He started into the saloon.

Hooker was sweet talking one of the saloon girls, when Bigelow walked up to him.

“Ah, sheriff, ain’t we finished? I ain’t been in any more fights. Maisy and me, we was just going upstairs.”

“You know a girl named Mary?” Bigelow grabbed him as he turned to start up the stairs.

“Heck, sheriff, I’ve known me plenty of girls,” Hooker smirked. “Gotta been a Mary in there somewheres.”

“No, Hooker.” The sheriff said coldly. “A little girl, who was left outside of town.”

“Oh,” he huffed. “She ain’t really mine.”

“She said you left her on the road.” Heyes’ eyes were steely and his voice cold.

“Weeelll…I was traveling with her ma.” Hooker scratched his head. “She up and died. Left me with this kid.” He huffed. “All she did was whine. How she was hungry, how she was cold.”

“And you just left her?” Heyes raised his voice, grabbing Peeper’s shirt front, but then calmed down a bit after glancing back at the sheriff. “How can you think that was something to do to a kid?”

Bigelow got between the men, not wanting another fight, even though he could not really blame Smith.

“She’s over to my office now.” The sheriff started leading Hooker out of the saloon.

“Hey, wait just one goldurn minute.” Hooker stood his ground. “She ain’t mine. You found her. You keep her.”

Bigelow glanced at Heyes to see if he had to hold him back from grabbing the man again, but the other man was deadly still, which was in some way more frightening.

“You worthless piece of…” Heyes grabbed his hat off his head and ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes were black as coal.

“Mr. Smith.” The sheriff tried to get Heyes’ attention, but had to shake his arm before Heyes turned to him. “I think we should go back over to my office.”

Heyes looked the sheriff in the eye. He nodded and purposely turned his back on Hooker. He strode out of the saloon.

Bigelow followed him and stopped him before they reentered the office. He turned Heyes to face him. There was a fierceness in Heyes’ glare. The sheriff wondered again who this man and his partner were.

“You know he’d just dump her again, if we make him take her,” Bigelow said, his eyes tired.

Heyes stared bleakly at the sheriff and then looked off down the street. If Bigelow wasn’t convinced that Smith was probably on the other side of the law, he would have sworn his eyes glistened.

Heyes took a deep breath and scrubbed his face with his hand. “Sorry, Sheriff, but if you’d have seen her just dumped in that road, you might be a bit upset too. He quietly asked, “So what do you suggest?”

“Well,” Bigelow took his own deep breath. “There’s been a recession around here lately.”

Heyes nodded. “Yeah, jobs have been hard to find.”

“Ain’t no one here able to take the girl in. Guess we gotta send her to the orphanage over to Sibley.” He met Heyes’ glare. “No, it ain’t the best place, but at least she should be fed and clothed.”

Heyes looked at the light coming out of the sheriff’s office. Bigelow could see him thinking hard on something.

“Sheriff,” Heyes finally said. “What if there was another option?”

The train ride to Valparaiso took most of their money, even with Heyes increasing it at the poker tables at a couple stops along the way. Mary also needed some new clothes, and a doll with yarn hair, that was in the window of a shop.

She was sleeping in the Kid’s arms during the last leg of their trip. It was dark outside of the train windows, so they just reflected the Kid’s nodding head, and Heyes’ thoughtful gaze.

“Ain’t it surprising that Sister Madeleva and Sister Patricia are still at Valparaiso?”

Heyes looked into his cousin’s brilliant blue eyes. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“Nah, just resting my eyes, while Mary’s quiet.” He looked down at the chocolate curls on her head and then back at Heyes. “You still think this is a good idea?”

“What else can we do, Kid?” Heyes stared at his reflection in the opaque window, swaying with the rocking of the train. “We’re still wanted. It doesn’t look like that amnesty is coming any time soon. She needs a settled life. The sisters will be good to her.”

Curry nodded reluctantly. “Guess that means we probably have to increase what we’ve been sending the sisters, huh?”

“Probably, Kid.”

Mary was waiting with the other graduates, ready to get her diploma. She turned her head and could see Sister Madeleva and Sister Patricia sitting behind her, beaming, so proud of her accomplishments. She was happy to have them there, but still missed the two who were not.

As her name was called, she heard a whoop and loud clapping. She looked up from shaking the dean’s hand, and saw two men standing at the back of the hall, smiling hugely. She smiled back and gave a little wave as she left the stage.

They made it! She should have known they would.


End file.
